


little dreams

by adore_a_jackdaw



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Blood, Gen, HATIM AU, Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 22:18:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13222362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adore_a_jackdaw/pseuds/adore_a_jackdaw
Summary: Buddy dreams a little dream





	little dreams

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Before and After](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12629271) by [Star_Going_Supernova](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Going_Supernova/pseuds/Star_Going_Supernova). 
  * Inspired by [Before and After](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12629271) by [Star_Going_Supernova](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Going_Supernova/pseuds/Star_Going_Supernova). 



 

 

He- or they woke up (or came to be) slowly.

 

 

 

 

The small black and white shape of Buddy, uncoiled sleepily from a dead man’s lap. Not that the dead man minded, for his smuggled grey form was slowly sifting to awareness.

 

 Before, (the dead man-the traitor- the ghost-) henry patted the small toon. Buddy’s small form turns and wipes away ink from his scared eyes and blink sleepily at the shade.

 

He squeaks at the ghost in greeting, sounding like a broken dog toy.

The shade replied in a quiet voice lost in static.

 

Buddy rolls off the make shift bed onto the blank floor and stretches like a cat. mitten fingers reached for blurred featureless hands gently tugging them up.

 

Up up up

 

The giant- henry rubs his neck and shifts to his feet. the tuning of a radio grumbled in response

 

I’m up. I’m up.

 

The words where almost loss in white noise.

As slow moving as an old man on broken knees, henry-before rises tall and looming over the small form.

The toon squeaks satisfied with his pestering.

 

Henry chuckled thought the static. He reached with grey shapes- things should have been flesh and bone of hands- and ruffled his inky head - the touch could not be felt by the toon (for he was a ghost) but the meaning was felt.

 

Amusement, affection, and love slipped from before fingers settling gently in to afters inky heart like a welcomed friend. Embarrassment and shy pride sung back as Buddy fussed with the grey shape that tussled his ink, squeaking loudly in offence.

 

Amusement grows with in henry- such a full feeling it was- for something that had everything striped away.

 

Buddy, tugs at henrys hand. Squeezing it tight between his non-existent fingers.

 _Got you_ said the gesture and a wobbly smile.

Henry takes Buddy’s hand and squeezes back.

 _Thanks_ , he replies.

They were ready.

 

Buddy tugs at henrys hand prompting him to start walking.

 

 they start to adventure into the empty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 (henry (alive-friend-HENRY) had once joked “making things takes a lot out of you” the reply was something loud and boisterous- a sound filled with joy)

 

(but henry (before-traitor-DEAD.) knows this- even if he doesn’t recall it-  when Buddy (after-FAKE-not bendy-WORTHLESS) was pulled out of henry melting flesh and bone; kicking and screaming…. he took almost everything that henry was. Leaving behind a brittle ghost of something that was- and will never be again.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…..

 

 

They continue.

 Hand in hand.

 

 

 

until

 

 

 

Crunch crunch crunch.

 

 

 

 

There was something in the nothing.

 

 

 

 

Shades of grey started form as the two walked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 There where pale shades, human shaped, smudged to a blur as they danced around the ghost and the toon. 

 Taller than buddy but shorter than henry the two seemed to be passing something back and forth as they danced.

 the feeling of the cold nipping at the toon’s nose made him sneeze.

 he stepped closer to henrys ghostly legs as the two charged. Far off voices screamed with joy.  As they faded into nothing.

 Henry gently patted the toon.

 

 _Its fine. Let’s move on_ said the pat.

 

So they did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More pale ghosts started to appear as they walked. Another group still short and playful, would dash into the fog, then another taller and mature would subtly fade into nothing. New groups of shades- ghost of ghosts- would fade in and out, like marks on a page that had been rubbed out leaving only a dent in the sheet.

Far too many ghosts haunted henry.

Buddy clung tighter to before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost there.

 

The ghosts started to get clearer and walls started to grow like vines from under there feet.

And sounds started to become clearer and clearer.

Buddy shuffled close to henry.

Squinting and the growing grey walls.

 

 _Henry_ he tugged _Henry._

The ghost turns his head in a confusion

 

_What is it?_

 

Something was building up in the back of buddy’s head making him grit his teeth. black globs of inks rolled down his face dripping onto the wooden floor.

It was familiar for some reason.

 

_Before…… I think this is-_

 

Everything snapped.

_-The studio._

 

 

 

Everything stood to attention. the growing walls where now perfectly fitted rooms that slotted in a proper building- one soon to be full of nightmares.   The ghosts clipped to a new pose.  Large groups of shades danced around the studio, there masses produced a buzz of sound, ghost playing their hearts out on trumpets and drums- they swung to the jazz that pounded the walls.

 

And oh god the legs- tall as trees and enough of them to make a forest trapped buddy. An ever shifting wood as the ghost grinded against each other. 

Feet the size of Buddys head smashed down onto the wooden floors- some had large nails sticking out from the heel that stabbed and wobbled.

But worst of all henry- (before- only friend – protection- loved) was gone.

 

Buddy froze. He was all alone. 

 

Henry? He squeaked

 

His voice was lost within the pounding.

 

He dogged another leg that swung out and sailed through a drunken swarm of arms and shoes. he landed under a drawing desk that had been re-proposed for holding bottles upon bottles of-

 

HENRY!? He shouted

 

Buddy (fake- bad- terrible-worthless-WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?!?!-) Felt his legs bulked under the weight all the ghostly giants dancing- heat radiating off their mass- the lack of air- the HEAT was slowly melting buddy (WORTHLESS- WORTHLESS- WOTHLESS) like cholate being crushed by clammy hot hands.

 

Oh god where was henry?

 

HENRY!!! He screams his sight blurring and choking on his own breath. He wheezes and he can’t –he cant even- he scrabbles about wobblily  on his feet- he NEEDED- HE NEEDED- GOD WHY DID HE ALL WAYS HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS??- WHY CANT HE DO ANYTHING-

 

SMASH.

 

An arm slapped the table shaking the bottles and spooking poor buddy to shaky feet.  he wobbles and stubbles out from under the table- One of the alcohol bottles smashes and one falls to its side spilling its content in a cold shower on buddy and the floor.

He sneezes and shivers. 

 

ugggghhhh

 

Buddy slumps and wipes away a mixture of ink and alcohol from his face.

 

egh

 

Its still far too stuffy and loud. still a little hard to breath.

And he smells like a bar crossed with an art carboarded.

 

Very gross.

 

He puts the bad thoughts in a box and closes the lid.

He has done lots of things of value, He tells himself.

Not to the value of joey drew. But joey drew didn’t really value much in the first-place.

 

 Not anymore.

 

Ok deep breaths.

 

His makes his throat loosens slightly, and his unravels his hands from there shaking death grip.

 

It was ok. Just breath. He rubs his fingers on the wet floor in a repetitive motion.  his toes tighten and untighten, and breaths thought his mouth.

 

 

 

buddy takes a moment to look out and the dancing giants. The alcohol drips down his face and onto his shoulders.

 

But the spinning drunks weren’t really anything. They were grey shades.

 

And music could fade in and out without the constant intensity of something real.

 

And the alcohol although cold and smelly was fading into nothing. Only leaving a shiver in its wake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking around he sees something that’s real.

 

(sort of)

 

henry.

 

He was sat on one of the desks across the room of ghosts. he was hidden in plan sigh. He was tucked in the Conner leaning over the desk with a pen in hand and a drink within reach. two seats where set around the table. they where empty.

 

Buddy gets to his feet and shuffles across the room. Keeping calm and walking around the flailing of the shades. he weaves around all of ghosts, until his hands grab the leg of the table Henry’s, shimmies up it and pulls himself up onto the table.

 

Henry was bent over a newspaper doodling on the page as he chews over the crossword.  Not seeing the toon sat squarely on the table.

Buddy waves his hand in fount of henrys face. Odd he didn’t even blink at the movement.

 

Henry? Squeaks Buddy 

 

Henrys head tilts upwards, tearing his thoughts away from the crossword and removing the pen from between his teeth.

Finally, Henrys eyes flicked to Buddys eyes and- then above Buddy’s head.

 

 

“Henry” a voice said.

 

 

Buddy turns to see a ghost- bit clearer than the others, but still unidentifiable- a above one of the chairs.

‘Linda’ henry reply’s from under the static and jazz.

 

Buddy sighs and tugs the crossword out from  under henry and starts to chew over it. 

 

This would take a while.

 “Linda” ghostly form seemed to turn her head and scrutinise henry.

 he turns to look at the shades playing the interments.

 

 "You’re not still mad, are you?” she asks siting down in one of the empty chairs.

 

Henry grunts looks At a new newspaper and pen that had snapped in place of the ones Buddy had stolen. There where the same except buddy’s crossword was now was free of Henry’s tries at words, but not of his scribbly Bendy’s that littered the margins.

 

Buddy looks down at his sheet and starts to fill it in. pretty simple crossword actually.

 

 

 Henry mulls over his words for a second.

 “a little but no as much as before” he says grabbing his drink and taking a huge gulp.

 

“I thought you were not drinking tonight?” she says eyeing the bottle.

 

“I’m not” he drinks again “It’s just coke.”  He shakes it side to side. It bubbles and fizzes.

 He tapped his chest “Decanted driver.” He pauses, taps his page in thought and then scribbled a word down  “we drew straws “.

 

 She huffs “Yes, and if your where not being so stubborn I would have been the decanted driver and you could have enjoyed your evening.”

 He grunts at her, but she continues “Instead of moping in the Conner”

 

 “I’m not moping I’m just doing some cross words!”  he slaps the paper to ethnize the point.

 He looks at the page thinking.  “Also do you have any idea what would be a word with 7 letters with the description of “held responsible for””

 

”Um? incriminate” she says.

 

Henry taps the pen against his chin “nope. Incriminate has 11 letters. We need a 7”

 

 “well maybe- wait no back on topic.” She shakes her hand and sighs “You know this is meant to be a   celebration for the opening of your animation studio???”

 

 He stares blankly at her

 

She persist “The one you been working so hard for?”

 

“Yes, I know.” he shifts in his chair and keeps scribbling “All thought I’m just one of the animators, not the owner”

 

She rolls her eyes and slaps him “In writing yes, it belongs to joey…..but bendy the dancing demon”

 She sides eyes him, a wide grin on her face.

 

She presses her finger to his heart.

 

“He’s all you” henry pauses to look at her.

 “that little demon, Is going to dance his way into the hearts of the public. I know it” something warm stirs within. He smiles back.

 

“A gut feeling?” he asks

 

She chuckles “Yes little brother” she extends an hand to ruffle his hair.

 

 They share a moment of silence.

 

The smile may have been small, the one pulling at henrys lips but…. it genuine.

 

 Buddy quietly observes the two with a twist of nostalgia.

 

 She grins at henry cheekily and pulls his cheek. A little harder than needed.

 

“And who got that dream funded with his charms and good looks?” Linda says, henry gently slaps her hand away.

 

He sighs rubbing his cheek. “Joey” he mutters.

 

She leans in, shit eating grin wide and hands on her chin “And who have you been best friends with for like the dawn of time?”

 

He rolls his eyes.

 

 “Joey”

 

“And that Joey didn’t mean to fling his drink at you.” She says ethnizing her point by snatching henrys drink and taking a sip.

 

 She passes it back and he takes a swing.

 

“Yeah, I know.”

 

“So, can he join the table or are you going to brood some more?”

 

He sighs and rubs his head and thinks for a second. Finally, he mutters

 

“Yeah, he can come over.”

 

 Linda claps her hands together

 

 “Good. Now let’s have a good evening!” she shakes her shoulders up and down. She turns and shouts;

 

“Hey, you in the clear joey come over!”

 

The Linda waved at one of the grey figures across the room one seems to respond to her.

 

 she shouts again:

 

 “YEAH YOU NUCKLE HEAD!”

 

 

One of the figures shifted thought the crowd they stood by the table. A second pass. They wiggle their fingers becoming a huge blur.

 

 “good evening Ross,” they say to Linda then they turns to henry “good evening Ross”

 

“Hey, drew” she says smiling and then elbows henry in his guts he jolts and looks at the standing shade.

 

“Good evening drew” henry says.

 

 Buddy stiffens from his crossword to stare a joey drew. Icey dread filled his gut and he shuffles over to henrys side of the table.  Buddy stares at joey.

 

 Joey drew does something with his face something that is loss on his grey smudged features.

 

It still made Linda snort and henry loosens his shoulders.

 

 

..maybe this is a nicer version of joey drew.

 

 

For now at least.

 

 

 Buddy continues with his crossword.

 

 

Joey grins and then flings himself into the last chair.

 

“So, henry my chum, how’s the shirt? hope it’s a bit dryer now than before”

 

Henry  stink eyes joey,  squeezes his shirt and it squelches for a full minute. it drips slightly. Joey nervously chuckles.

 

Henry sighs playful,  a grin pulling his cheek “still a bit wet but better”

 

He tugs a strand of hair, sniffs it and pulls a face.

 “although my hair smells like alcohol” he mutters eyeing joey.

 

Joey ruffled his hair “Sorry”

 

 He traces circles on the glasses rim of his drink. 

 

 Henry sighs.

 

 “It’s ok” he says, and pats joeys shoulder.

 

 something real and genuine rises in henrys words. 

 

joey nods “good”

 

Henry nods back his lips twitch upwards.

 

 

“nerds” Linda mutters while drinking from her glass.

 

henry turns and frowns at his sister. Unimpressed.

 

She just smiles more into her drink.

 

“the biggest nerds” she tweaks henrys nose and side eyes joey who chuckles at henrys crinkles up face.

 

 

Joey claps his hands together

 

“So restart! A toast to the bright future of our little studio and may our dreams come true!  Cheers!” 

 

He gestures for all the glasses to be raised and clanks his drinks against the other glasses.

 

 

“And one more toast for my best friend and the best animator I know! apart from myself”

 

Linda chuckled and elbowed Henry in the side as he blushed.

 

She raises her glass and clinks it with joeys “of course you would say that joey” she mutters. he chuckles back.

 

 

He turns to henry hold out the glass to be clinked.

 

 

“This company wouldn’t exist without good old bendy and his creator”

 

 

Henry felt a shy smile on his face and he clinked his drink again to joey’s glass.

 

 

Joey stared at henry his smile thin and hungry.

 

 

 

Something was wrong.

 

 

 

Joey leans back his eyes dark and shiny under the studio lights.

 

 

“May you never betray me Henry Ross” he hisses taking a deep gulp of liquid.

 

 

it pours down his face dark as the things that lurked in the night. Its stains ghostly teeth.

 

 

Buddy stood up his cross word incomplete and cracking and blacking with heat. He  backed away, gabbing henry and tugged.

 

Joey drew licks his lips. 

 

“Although you did didn’t you?”

 

Everything was quite the ink dripped down joey’s face. His eyes wide and his smile strained his cheeks.

 

Henry froze. Buddy tugged at henry to get a response.

 

 _Henry_ he wispered.

 

 but henry stared pale as a sheet at the shade of a friend.

 

 

 _HENRY!!!_ He squeaked. Pulling as hard as he could.

 

 

But it was useless.

 

 

The ghost had him now.

 

 

joey chuckles low and scrapping against his throat.

 

“You chose figments of your imagination over your best friend” he spits word sharp as knifes.

 

he stands, his chair screaming like the dead and looms over henry.

 

“When I needed you the most” his voice cracks, it echoed around the silent room.

 

“How could your henry ross?” he whispers.

 

He slams his hands down onto the table cracking it

 

“HOW COLULD YOU HENRY?!?” he screams, the spit flies into henrys eyes as he stubbles to the floor.

 

The table is flung to the side and snapped in splinters right thought the ghost of Linda.

 

Buddy rolls to the floor but scrambles to henry desperately trying to pull the ghost- the man- to his feet.

 

 

HENRY!!! He screams

 

 

Henry just started wide eyed at the approaching “friend”

 

 

Nonononnonononon-

 

 

“I KNOW I PUSHED TOO HARD” joey hisses his form tall and forbidding- a shadow demon hidden in a child room-

 

“I KNOW I CUTTED CONNERS” he whispers between teeth- like admitting dark sins to a church.

 

“but…. IT WOULD HAVE WORKED” he pauses for a second to look far off into the dead room-a long-gone moment.

 

“but no.” he says. Flat and normal.

 

A single eye locks on henry.

 

“You tried to leave.”

 

The accusation was slapped between the two.

 

“You said I was wrong”

 

Joey took a step forward. His voice shook and on the verge of tears.

 

“Me??” he points to himself the whites of his eyes wide and bloody. Ink dripped between his teeth.

 

It poured out of his eyes dark and staining.

 

“You valued those toons more than someone you have known for years” he hisses jabbing the words.

 

“So I thought hey,”

 

“Why not cut a few more corners?”

 

He springs, his hand snatching henrys shirt and lifts the shorter man. Henrys scrambles at the clawed hands and kicks at joey. joey stares, a wide grin on his face.

 

Buddy screams and scrabbles to pull him down from the grip but the leg dangles far to high up for buddy to reach.

 

 

HENRY he wheeze.

 

 

“We needed a new bendy and you seem to like toons more than people.”

 

He presses his long-clawed hand into henrys forehead. And cuts into the skin like a knife.

 

“I mean you talked to those toons more than you talked to me.” he giggles unhinged “you best friend!”

 

Red blooms from henrys head and it burns. The blood runs down into his eyes.

 

Buddys hearts pounds great blobs of ink run down his face he scrabbles after joeys long strides.

 

Joey- the monster- the demon with a man face- leans in close and sneered

 

“You would choose your” he spits “imaginary friends. Over me” he walks over to a dark hole that had sucked in the band, the dances and the floorboards. 

 

“And you forget I made them! Made them real just for you”

 

“so I thought… Why not do my pal a favour annnddd….”

 

He leans in closes Henry wiggles like a fish on a hook trying to get away but feels the hot breath of a whisper in his ear:

 

 

“ sacrifice him for a toon.”  Henry stares wide eyed at drew as his smile widens with glee.

 

 

 “I mean its prefect!” he chuckles

 

He passes henry to his other hand to count of the reasons of his fingers.

 

 

One finger raised up, it was shoved under henrys nose.

 

 

“One! you don’t really like people I mean who would miss you?”

 

he points to the frozen shade still seated around where the table was, frozen in a present smile.

 

“Your SISTER?” shade bursts into hysterical laugher. “HAH! All she misses is her campaigns for human rights. She too busy getting arrested to notice you gone.”

 

Henry try’s to protest but-

 

 

(its true)

 

 

He swallows his words

 

 

 a second finger rises.

 

 

“2. you hurt me henry…. You’re my best friend I thought I could trust you…”

 

He stares far out beyond the walls of the crumbling studio.

 

 something soft and hurt seems to coiled under joeys face. Henry almost felt sorry for the man.

 

Guilt stabbed herder.

 

The final finger rises

 

“3. I need a new bendy”

 

A piratical man as all ways henry thought.

 

Joey continues.

 

 “and you know me I use everything I possibly can; however, I see suitable. And you’re no friend of mine and you aren’t working for me so…”

 

He slowly swings his arm out above the dark hole henrys feet dangles above the abyss.

 

Joeys eyes locks on to the darkness and then to henrys eyes and his fingers slowly loosen.

 

“Joey…. this isn’t you.” Henry whispers as he scrabbles to keep a hold of joeys hand .

 

 Joey head turns thinking “No.. its not.” He says.

 

He looks down at his feet to the small form of buddy who is hitting and pulling joeys leg is a desperate struggle.

 

 

LET GO!! LET HIM GO!!! He squeaked with each tug and hit.

 

 

Henry’s eyes go wide with fear. For a second he forgets about the dark hole under his feet and his insane friend. 

 

 

“Buddy” henry whispers

 

 

The toons head snaps up to henrys.

 

 

Joeys arm stretches like rubber and snaps up the toon by the scruff of the neck.

 

Buddy squeaks and struggles in the hold as joey dangles him above the hole with henry.

 

 

“But this” the demon (joey) hisses gesturing to Buddy who stares wide eyed and shivering at Henry.

 

 

 “This is you.”

 

 

 

The two blink at each other.

 

 

 

Joey drops the two and watches them fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They fall, eyes still wide as gravity pulled them down.

 

 

 

the two figures desperately reached for each other as they were swallowed by the dark-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Joey drew- the demon- the human-the man who made too many mistakes- stares for a second.

 

 

 

 “Good bye henry ross.” He says.

 

 

 

 he turns walks away and fades into nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-before grabs after, pulls him close to his dead heart and prepares for the darkness- the ink- the voices- as it opens its jaws wide and-

 

 

 

 

 

 

swallows them whole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They-he-before-after-them-buddy-henry-brother-fake-animator-toon-human-ghost-falure-trator-useless-loved-child-adlult-Ross-little brother-leader-manger-rough draft- unwanted – creator-  created-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buddy wakes up with a start.

 

It was a dream.

 

Just a dream.

 

He presses his little mitten hands to his heart wheezing and sweating ink in his little handmade bed.

 

Buddy takes a deep breath. Trying to slow down his racing heart.

 

It ok he tells himself.

 

Its ok.

 

He swallows

 

 

He looks up to see bendy snoring on the table above. His arm dangles off the table along with his long-patched scarf. His face snuggled into his coat and tail coiled around his leg.

 

 

He was no doubt an image of peaceful sleep.

 

 

The studio creeks

 

 

And ink drips.

 

 

Buddy stretches and rubs his neck

 

 

Another day another dollar.

 

 

Time to get bendy up.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> based off of
> 
> [upperstories](http://upperstories.tumblr.com/)
> 
> bendy and buddy au.
> 
> also took some refence from Star_Going_Supernova "Before and After" 
> 
> both theses peps make some cool stuff and i think you should go a check them out!
> 
> anyway enjoy and tell me if there are any mistakes!
> 
>  
> 
> [(also my thoughts on joeys character)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BKivJ89xAE)
> 
>  
> 
>  


End file.
